Butterfly Clams - Colorful and Pretty

What and Where

Coquina clams are small mollusks that live on our beaches. The ones we are talking about here have a bunch of different names. Some alias are butterfly clams, wedge clams, pompano clams, and bean clams. Their science name is Donax variabilis.

This variety generally live from the beaches of Virginia down to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. They thrive on undisturbed, natural beaches. Unfortunately beach renourishment, dredging, and other human activities that try to mitigate the beaches for our use have a tendency to smother these small clams.

Size and Color

Coquina clams grow up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length, although 1 inch seems to be the exception. Most of the ones I've seen are closer to 1/2 inch in length. Their shells are triangular or wedge shaped being twice as long as they are wide. The widest part of their shells is at the hinge.

Their seashells are very colorful. I have seen yellow shells, reddish ones, pink, white, brown, biege, and purplish ones. They are naturally shiny, most having a very nice gloss to them. Many of these seashells also have patterns on them. 

The patterns can be bands that run parallel to the edge of the seashells getting smaller toward the hinge. They remind me of tree rings that show tree growth over the years. The widths on the bands vary and the colors are in shades - some dark, some light - on the same shell.

Another pattern seen on Coquina clam seashells are stripes. The stripes run from the hinge areas out to the edge of the seashells. They look like the sun's rays also being darker or lighter than the underlying color.

The bands and stripes can be found on the same seashell. So Coquina clam seashells can be solid color, striped, banded, or striped and banded. Wow, what an array of colors and patterns.

Feeding and Moving

The Coquina clam is a filter feeder. It feeds by siphoning water in and out of its body, taking out organic particles and small animals as its food. It use two siphons, one for feeding and one for getting rid of its waste.

They can also use the siphons, in combination with their foot and seashell, to move up and down the beaches they live on with the tide. When they reach the place they are looking for, they use their foot to quickly dig into the sand.

Breeding and Life Span

These little clams are prolific breeders. They have to be as they are a food source for in-shore fish and birds, along with other beach dwellers. Coquina clams are also eaten by humans usually in clam soups and chowders.

Both males and females are needed for breeding. When the Coquina clams are ready to breed, the females release eggs into the water and the males release their sperm, fertilizing the eggs.

They seem to live anywhere from 3 months to 3 years, depending on the source. The concensus seems to be an average of about 1 year if not preyed upon. Of course they can be destroyed quickly if their beaches are smothered due to human activity.

Uses

Well you can eat these little clams. People who know how have been making them into soups and chowders for years.

The seashells can be used in shell crafts. They can add quite a bit of color and interest to whatever you are working on, especially if you use designs such as presented by Shellcraft Guides.